THE RUNDOWN
The Denver Nuggets earn their first above .500 month of the season with a 109-105 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. They are now 9-7 in March with one game left to play tomorrow night in New Orleans. Memphis never held a lead in this one and the closest they got was when the score was 9-9 in the first quarter. The Nuggets went up by as many as 20 points, but the Grizzlies would make it interesting down the stretch.
How the Grizzlies are staying in these games is pretty remarkable for a team missing Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Mario Chalmers. Add to that it was Zach Randolph‘s first game back after missing the team’s previous two with an ankle injury.
The Grizzlies outscored Denver 37-25 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Darrell Arthur made a tremendous defensive play with the Grizzlies on a fastbreak to try to make it a two point game. Instead, Arthur came up with a huge chase-down block and Will Barton got a wide open dunk on the other end to make it 106-100 instead of the aforementioned two point game it could have been with under a minute remaining.
WHERE/WHEN
The Grindhouse – Memphis, TN / March 30, 2016 / Game Number 76
STAR OF THE GAME
Emmanuel Mudiay gets the nod here for his great third quarter performance. Mudiay played 10:46 in the third and went 4-6 from the field, including 3-4 from beyond the arc (2-2 from the foul line) for 13 points to go along with two rebounds and one pretty assist to Kenneth Faried.
With that assist to Faried, Mudiay accounted for 11 points from the 6:22 mark to the 4:15 mark. Let’s look at his three threes in a row, followed by the assist to Faried after a Memphis timeout.
First three:
Mudiay three threes in a row. First one to make it 68-57. #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/IpSd8b4UKz
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
Second three:
Mudiay’s second three to make it 72-57 #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/k8Kr2mCKZ1
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
Third three:
Mudiay’s third three in the 3rd quarter to make it 75-57. #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/TEDRm0miHN
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
And the assist to Faried:
After Memphis TO, Mudiay found Faried for the pretty finish. In all, Mudiay accounted for 11 points in 2 min stretch pic.twitter.com/IIsTt50z1D
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
Denver went up 77-57 after that sequence (with JaKarr Sampson going 1-2 at the foul line between Mudiay’s first and second three) and even though the Grizzlies stormed back late, they were able to secure the win.
In all, Mudiay finished the game with 17 points and five assists in just under 31 minutes of action. Big game from Mudiay even though he had five turnovers on the night — three coming in the second half.
PLAYS OF THE GAME
In the second quarter the Nuggets were running the Grizzlies off the floor. Here Will Barton leads the fastbreak and finds JaKarr Sampson for the sweet alley-oop in transition.
Really like Will Barton’s playmaking ability. Great alley-oop in transition to JaKarr Sampson here. #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/UFI5r9cM7y
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
The Grizzlies came storming back in the fourth quarter, but thanks to Darrell Arthur and his chase-down block, the Nuggets were able to stave off a crazy rally.
FANTASTIC chase down block from Darrell Arthur to likely secure Denver’s win in Memphis. #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/OUAHQMZMi2
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Darrell Arthur… again.
FANTASTIC chase down block from Darrell Arthur to likely secure Denver’s win in Memphis. #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/OUAHQMZMi2
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) March 31, 2016
BY THE NUMBERS
At the half the Nuggets held a 59-47 lead that gave them an 83.4 percent chance to win the game, according to inpredictable.com. Those odds went up to 99.5 percent at the 2:27 mark with the Nuggets up by 11 points. Denver made good on the odds tonight and walked away winners.
Nuggets box score from NBA.com
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“Home cooking never hurts.” said Nuggets assistant coach Ed Pinckney of Will Barton’s first half performance. Barton had 14 points on 3-7 shooting (2-4 from deep, 6-8 at the foul line) in the first half to go along with four rebounds, one assist (the alley-oop above in Plays of the Game to Sampson) and one block. He was a +10 in 18:43 in that first half that saw Denver take a 12 point lead into the locker room.
Barton finished the night with a team-high 25 points and a big free throw late to seal the win. Barton had 11 points in the second half to compliment the 14 he had in the first half. Really nice game from Barton off the bench in his former college stomping grounds in Memphis.
LASTING IMPACT
The Grizzlies are now 41-34 and still hold the fifth seed in the Western Conference, but they have some tough games ahead. If Memphis drops out of the playoffs and finish after the NBA lottery with the 14th pick in the draft, it would convey to the Denver Nuggets. If they make the playoffs, the Nuggets would likely get that pick next season when it’s protected just 1-5.
The Nuggets also remain mathematically in the playoff race… for now.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Nuggets face their old friend Jordan Hamilton and the New Orleans Pelicans tomorrow night, tipoff is at 6:00 p.m. MT.
